The Last Dance of the Phoenix
by zero21x
Summary: Before humanity, the phoenixs ruled. Delve into Phoenix Oculus, one of the few survivors of his people. Wanting nothing more than peace he moves to Mahora Acadamy. But this decision sets of a chain of events even the Creator cannot control.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Last Dance of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: I don't own Mahou Sensei Negima. All credit goes to Akamatsu Ken.

Author's note: All right, time to break out an idea that has been sitting in my mind forever. I talked about this idea with Ryvius and got some great feedback. So let's do this thing!

Chapter 1: Past and Present

"Haha, come on birdbrain!" A tall, slender woman of 20 taunted a smiling teenage. "Is that all you got?"

"You haven't seen half of it!" The tan 18 year old rushed the woman with a glowing fist pulled back. He set this loose a small explosion ripped through the air. When the dust settled the man grinned at the brown haired lady who now was holding her side.

"Damn that hurt." She muttered. Then she smirked at the dark haired man, looking straight into his yellow eyes. "Don't have any mercy for women, Phoenix?" The unusual individual laughed.

"If only you were a normal woman, Sophie." He stared lovingly back into her chocolate orbs. "Tired?"

"You wish." Sophie launched herself at Phoenix, laughing as she went. They exchanged blows in the dead cold of midnight, laughing while at it. Soon the two ceased their inhuman sparing and sat down together at the top of a hill, gazing down as the moon reflected of the surface of a lake.

She sighed and snuggled closer to the warm body sitting next to her. He put a hand around her shoulder and held her close. "You know, even though I am committed to you, doesn't mean that I will tell all of my secrets Phoenix." The man chuckled softly at her side.

"And neither will I." She smiled at the moon in the heavens.

"You will be my sun and I will be your moon." She punched her lover gently in the gut. "So don't forget it."

"Hm, I get a fighter and a poet as my wife? How lucky am I?" She punched him again, this time harder. He let a small hiss escape his lips.

"Don't ruin the mood birdbrain." She then stroked his cheek. Their faces came together and in the background the moon framed their moment.

XXXXX

Phoenix's eyes softly fluttered open and he glanced around his room. Nothing had changed, well except for the fact that all of his belongings were packed and stood by the door to his bedroom. He hadn't noticed the red haired girl of 15 silently standing in the corner until she stepped forward. It took but one glance of his windswept face to tell her what had happened.

"Did you get another memory back?" She asked, her voice almost sounding melodic. The 16 year old stretched his body before frowning.

"Yes." She knew where this was headed.

"Was it about-" He had cut her off.

"About Sophie? Yeah it was. I don't want to talk about it, Beatrix." His face displayed his sorrow. She punched his arm gently.

"Come on, Light's waiting." He nodded his head before changing in to the suit he laid out last night. As he pulled on a yellow tie, Beatrix smiled and complemented him. He smiled back, knowing this was her true nature, but knowing full well it wouldn't last long.

They walked out of the room and entered the dining area. Beatrix's orange eyes flashed around before finding what they were looking for. They proceeded to the table that seated a slender and groomed white haired man of 18. He had the same tan skin Phoenix and Beatrix shared, but nothing else. His blue eyes seemed to be moving rapidly down a manga he held in his hand. One glance at the cover told Phoenix worlds. He was reading his ero-mangas. "Again." He groaned inwardly at the fit Nekane would throw if she found him doing this again. He waved his hand towards the offending book and a wind snatched it out of the man's long fingers. It hit the opposite wall and Beatrix snapped her fingers, setting the book aflame. The man did not seem at all troubled at the destruction of his property. He smiled at them with his polished white teeth.

"Well aren't you lively today Phoenix?" Phoenix groaned audibly this time.

"I don't have the patience today, Light. So cut the crap so we can board the flight in time." He sat at the table and picked up his utensils and started to wolf down his food.

"My, my the English Gentleman seems very touchy today." But his offensive demeanor lessened with his glance at Beatrix, who had mouthed one word. 'Sophie' was that word. He understood the pain behind the simple yet beautiful name, even though that person had died 4 centuries ago. He shut his mouth and breakfast turned out to be a quick and pleasurable affair.

The trio then marched to their rooms and came out to find Nekane standing at the door of their small cottage, drying her eyes with a small handkerchief. Phoenix dreaded this departure. Nekane had taken care of the three when the Thousand Master, their father, had left the three in her care. But even the Thousand Master did not expect what sort of children he had.

"Mak-Make sure to write and call whenever you need help and-" Phoenix Stepped forward and hugged the trembling woman. She sobbed into his shoulder. "I know you three are all grown up but I can't get over the fact that you're all leaving!"

"Shh, I know, it's going to be all right." Phoenix supported the mourning woman. She dabbed at her eyes again. Beatrix then smiled at her.

"Don't worry Nekane, I'll kick Light's ass if he becomes too much of a pervert. And I'll make sure the womanizer over there doesn't get too carried away." She smirked at Phoenix as she said this.

"Hey!" He shot back at her hotly. "Those girls mobbed me! Not the other way around!" True, he had unknowingly made almost all the girls in this village fall for him. Well with the exception of Anya, but even around her Phoenix didn't feel safe. Not when this girl could pin you to the ground and ra- "No bad thoughts, bad thoughts!" He scolded himself in his head and stopped his train of thought. He turned to see Light start to twirl Nekane in a sort of tango and knew it was time to leave.

XXXXX

As Phoenix already put out three fires that Beatrix caused out of boredom, ripped up 20 ero-mangas that Light tried to sneak aboard, and separated the two eight times before the caused an all-out brawl on the airplane, he was tired. Falling back into his seat between the two he was relieved to find them asleep. He sighed and closed his eyes too. He drifted off to sleep before he knew it.

XXXXX

"So where to begin Phoenix?" He glanced up and saw an old withered man sitting above him on a throne made of marble. He knew who it was and what he was asking. "As seeing that you clearly don't want to start o receive memories of Sophie back, what do you want to know now?"

"Simple. Start this story from the beginning."

"Again?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"Again."

"Very well."

An illusion started to form around Phoenix. He was then whisked off into a realm of darkness. A voice rang out from god knows where.

"So as you know I created land, sea, sun, and animals before your kind." Phoenix nodded his head in agreement. He had to study this carefully. The space then showed his kind in their earliest moment.

"I based your kind off the sun. I made you immortal and gave you minds beyond any primitive animal. You developed faster than I had hoped." The scene then progressed to the time of temples and god idols. Amazingly enough, these people weren't mere pictures, they were real. He could see the people bustle around the ancient city and feel the wind blowing softly through the town.

"Soon you began to question my existence and position. I was foolish then, and made a copy of myself, which I dubbed 'The Divine Phoenix'. This spirit was able to physically manifest on earth, unlike I." The scene shifted to night. A great black and white colored bird streaked across the sky.

"You began to worship the great being of power and let it overshadow your lord. Then all was well. For now." The scene showed people happily going about their jobs. The sky began to darken.

"Your people then challenged the authority of my other reincarnation. This reincarnation was not as forgiving as I had hoped. He made a copy of himself, but unlike me, he split this being into two. Known as The Black Phoenix and The White Phoenix." Two lesser birds than appeared and perched down below the greater one.

"These entities possessed some other phoenixes and began their slaughter of all who opposed the Divine Phoenix's rule." A bloody battlefield then shot into view with two human in the center. One gave off a dark aura, the other a white.

"I then created the The Flame Phoenix to counteract the slaughter and push the other two entities back. After that I had to command the Flame Phoenix to wipe your kind out. I didn't succeed. Some survived." The scene depicted a man and woman running for a mountain cave.

"I started to create a new race. The humans." The scene shifted again. "I did not give them immortality or any powers of your kind." Ancient Egypt shot into focus.

"After some time The Divine Phoenix and his subordinates marched to the spirit realm to try to finish me off. Why? I had replaced them and stripped them of their glory." A clean cut man was leaping at three other birds, an ax in hand. "I sent the Divine Phoenix to Hell, but the other two got away."

"That's where you came in. The Black Phoenix instantly took a liking to your vengeful soul. The White took a liking to your brother's innocence." At this Phoenix snorted and the voice laughed. "Okay, he won't be innocent forever but then he was."

"You were then overshadowed. Then war broke out among your people about who should be worshiped and who should rule. Your sister, Beatrix, was possessed by the Flame Phoenix. You all joined the side of the Divine Phoenix, as the Flame Phoenix could move on its own free will now. You won and came to face me." Then the voice stopped. "Seems like your needed Phoenix." He bowed to the man who appeared before him.

"Then I will be departing, Creator-sama."

"As you please my creation."

XXXXX

Phoenix's eyes then opened to a scene of Beatrix violently beating a man who slipped and fell on her. He looked right and caught a glimpse of Light and a woman slipping into a bathroom before the door shut and read 'Occupied'. He sighed. Sometimes the old man needed to work on his timing. But as he pulled the two apart combatants apart and bust the door of the bathroom down to retrieve Light his mind thanked the Creator. "You provided me great information on my lord… and enemy."

XXXXX

There done! So in this fiction Phoenix will be taking Negi's place. Oh and for Phoenix's backstory: I do not mean to offend any religion, beliefs, or groups of people with this idea. I am merely telling a fiction story. More of this mysterious individual(s) (Including Light and Beatrix 'cause this is their people's past! Their people meaning the phoenix race.) later. 'Till next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Last Dance of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: I don't own Mahou Sensei Negima. All credit goes to Akamatsu Ken.

Chapter 2: Reopened Wound

Konoka Konoe lead the most normal life a girl like her could have. She had friends, a home, school, a loving parent, and hobbies. But one thing she didn't have was a boyfriend. Well she never wanted one, it was her grandfather who insisted and set up countless omiai meetings. Konoka started her day normally, she cooked and ate with Asuna and proceeded to walk the familiar route to school. No, running is more close to the truth. They were late. Again.

"Gah we're late, we're late!" Asuna screamed next to her. She was running alongside Konoka who had skates on. "Takahata sensei won't be happy with this one!"

"So you're at it again?" Konoka giggled. Asuna turned red.

"NO!" She ignored Konoka, which made her giggle more. They boarded a train and waited for it to start off. They watched all the girls babble and prattle on about this and that. Then silence fell on the train. Asuna and Konoka glanced at each other with confused looks on their faces. Then they peeked at what all the other girls were staring at.

There stood a tall, firm 16 year old with jet black hair that looked like it had been through a windstorm and piercing yellow eyes. He had a black suit on and a yellow tie hang from his neck. His face was calm and he was leaning on the wall of the train. Konoka was never before attracted to a man, so this warm feeling that shot up in her was foreign and unwelcome. Asuna on the other hand goggled at the man next to the youth. His hair was snow white and his frosty blue eyes looked amused at the scene before the two. His clothes were more casual than the man next to him. The girls started to eagerly press upon the two before another girl stopped them. She had red hair, a shade darker than Asuna's, and orange eyes that seemed to send warning flares at the congregated mass of female hormones.

"Back away guys these two aren't available." The orange eyed youth growled. Konoka's hands clenched together at these words.

"What so you get both of them? No fair!" Three of the older girls shouted.

"No, I'm their sister and I need to make sure this pervert and womanizer make it out of here in one piece." The two men standing behind her had different reactions. The white haired one smiled charmingly at the girls and this shot their hormones into dangerous levels. The one with black hair palmed his face and muttered an audible comment.

"It's happening again. Why me?" This made the girls desire this hard to get teenage even more so. The white haired man piped up.

"Watch out Beatrix, their getting desperate." He then spread out his arms with a flourish. "I'll satisfy them all!" The girl called Beatrix turned around and punched the man in the gut before he could do anything.

"You're not doing anything, Light." Half of the girls started to call Light's name quite seductively. He smiled for them and the volume increased.

"Come on Phoenix!" Light tapped the other youth on the shoulder. "I'm entertaining my fan club, what about yours?" Phoenix glared at Light. "If you don't I'll tell Nekane you…" He started to whisper into Phoenix's ear. It must have been horrible, because the youth flushed a deep red and muttered back.

"Fine. Just this once." His calm demeanor returned and he smiled with the most innocent smile he could muster. This caused the other half of the girls to go wild and try to barge past Beatrix whilst removing any piece of clothing they could. Konoka could feel herself go hot.

Thankfully, for both Phoenix and Konoka, the train stopped which allowed the three youths to sprint off and round a corner before the mass of hormones chased after them. Konoka frowned as the feeling of warmth left her but she ignored it and started to run towards the school. She emptied her mind of the mysterious youth and went to start her day.

XXXXX

Phoenix felt half dead by the time he had reached the dean's office. Those mad predators chased the three around the school like there was no tomorrow. Light had tried to 'sacrifice' himself seven times and he had to beg Beatrix from not scorching the pests to oblivion with fire. He was the fastest out of the three and even he was tired. They stumbled into the dean's office and Phoenix collapsed onto the floor panting. Beatrix slumped against a wall and Light sank into a couch and conjured himself a glass of water.

"Ohohoho looks like you met our vivid students." A voice rang out from the back of the room. They all picked up their heads to see a bald man with huge ears. They just nodded before going struggling to regain their breaths. Finally Phoenix recovered first and picked himself up off the floor. He bowed to the old man, swaying a little before clearing his throat and speaking.

"Hello, I am Phoenix Oculus and I believe I have received a teaching post here at Mahora Acadamy along with my brother Light Oculus and my sister Beatrix Oculus." The dean seemed confused.

"Did you say your last name was Oculus?" He asked. Phoenix nodded his head. "But your father is Nagi Springfield, so how…" The dean started to come up with a solution in his mind. Phoenix cut his thoughts.

"Do you know about the legend of the phoenixes?" The dean nodded his head. "It's true." The dean recoiled instantly.

"Th-That would explain your last name." He hit upon yet another realization. "Does that mean you'r-you're-"

"I am Phoenix Oculus also known as The Black Phoenix. You can refer to my siblings as The White Phoenix and The Flame Phoenix. Yes, we are the last of our kind and down to our last life." The dean almost fainted at the information. He wasn't surprised. The White and Flame Phoenix might not bring any attention but his name was infamous and splattered across the bloody pages of history. He was a legend that struck so much horror that only the name Dark Evangel ever came close to competing with his. "I do not mean any harm, and only wish to live out this last life in peace." This calmed the dean down a bit. Then Beatrix assisted him.

"He's changed. Those stories are merely legends, embellished to keep children in their beds at night." The dean then took a deep breath.

"I don't know why all of you took jobs here, but I will make the best of it. Shizuna sensei you can come in." He shouted the last part and a shapely woman came in. Light immediately took interest before Phoenix shot a jolt of lightning at him. Shizuna smiled at the three and gestured them to come this out the door. Light and Beatrix followed and Phoenix signaled them to just wait outside of the door. He turned to the dean.

"Did a woman by the name Sophie Lunate come here about 4 centuries ago?" The dean seemed to think for a moment before nodding her head.

"We have her grave here. But sadly we do not have the grave of the great man who was her husband. They were quite famous, why do you ask?" Phoenix smiled at the man.

"Because Lunate was her maiden name, and she was…my wife." He turned to the door and left a shocked Dean Konoemon in his wake.

XXXXX

Shizuna sensei chatted with a very _happy_ Light as they walked down the hallway. Phoenix was in the behind them telling Beatrix about his discovery. She seemed shocked then worried. Then they suddenly stopped. "Oh I forgot about this Shizuna exclaimed.

She handed Phoenix a class roaster which he opened. He scanned the faces and stopped dead. No. How? She looked exactly like Sophie. He dropped to his knees. This couldn't be. A reincarnation? Impossible.

"Is something wrong Phoenix san?" Shizuna sensei sounded very concerned but Phoenix ignored her. He rose to his feet shaking and grabbed Beatrix's hand. She recoiled at first but then saw the all too familiar look of pain etched in his features. She let her eyes be guided to the place Phoenix indicated and Beatrix's mouth fell open in shock. Light came over and his face paled at the sight. The three stared at the picture.

Her lush hair and chocolate eyes were identical to Sophie's. Phoenix let one solitary tear run down his face before shutting the class roaster and walking before the group to hide his misty eyes.

XXXXX

They arrived at the classroom door and Phoenix walked in. He felt something was coming at his head. He flicked his hands and a chalk board eraser missed his head by inches. Light walked in next and managed to float the bucket that fell before snatching out of the air. Beatrix instantly vaporized two suction cup arrows by catching them with her flaming hands. The three walked up to the desk before setting these objects down. The class stared at them. Shizuna sensei spoke up.

"All right class let me introduce three new teachers! This is Phoenix, Light, and Beatrix Oculus." She pointed them out. The class continued to stare. Then they mobbed the three teachers.

"Kya! Do we really get them as teachers!" They started to shoot questions at the three. Shizuna calmed the class down.

"Now, now settle down. Yes they are your teachers, don't crowd them." The class returned to their seats. Phoenix rose and dusted himself off. "Beatrix sensei here will teach history." Beatrix regarded the class with the look of an athlete sizing up competition. In reality she was trying to gauge how many these girls wanted to get into her brothers' pants. The result didn't look too good. "Light sensei will teach chemistry." Light flashed the girls a grin that again aroused their hormones. "And Phoenix sensei will teach English." Phoenix smiled at the girls warmly and this got the same result that Light's grin received. Beatrix stepped forward.

"All right turn to page 7 in your books. We're learning about Feudal Japan. And how the China got their asses kicked by a windstorm." She smiled coyly at Phoenix. Man, she knew how to cheer him up. Phoenix could not suppress a grin.

XXXXX

So the class had its most hilarious history classes ever. Beatrix should consider being a comedian. So Light was next. "Oh please, for Creator's name, don't become a pervert now." Phoenix thought. To no such luck.

"Well, now we shall all dive in to the great and fascinating topic of chemistry. Chemistry, might want to write this down, is something that happens between a man and woman and can escalate to s-" Phoenix and Beatrix had both punched him at the same time. He flew back into the wall.

"Not that kind of chemistry pervert!" They chorused. Light got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Oh fine, I'll teach you the boring chemistry. Chemistry is the study of…"

XXXXX

Finally it was Phoenix's turn to teach. He stepped forward and started to speak.

"Turn to page 12 in your books. Now we see this definition of a metaphor. Since I take you all know what a metaphor is, why won't someone give us an example?" His eyes scanned the room. There were no takers. They were all busy. Busy staring at him. He sighed. This was going to be a long class period.

XXXXX

So that wraps up the second chapter. Not much to say other than everything that you find confusing will be explained I promise. So 'till next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Last Dance of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: I don't own Mahou Sensei Negima. All credit goes to Akamatsu Ken.

Chapter: Mysteries

Setsuna Sakurazaki was having the most tension filled day of her life. Three obviously powerful beings are her teachers. Beatrix could vaporize arrows without chanting or setting her whole hand on fire? She could localize heat in her palm and not cause a fire to erupt? "Not even the greatest fire mages could do that." She thought. "I need to find out more." And a perfect moment presented itself.

"Bye Phoenix sensei!" Some of the girls walked out of the door. He smiled warmly at them. Setsuna could not suppress a blush. He was very handsome and charming.

"So where are you going now Phoenix?" Light questioned. Phoenix turned to Light in a confused manner, as he was never concerned about him. Light lowered his voice. "Beatrix and I know that you're chasing Sophie down. Or what she left behind. We just need to be…careful." Phoenix was taken aback. Light cared about him? Then a memory erupted in his mind. A time when Light was depressed and how he picked himself up by joking about everything.

"I'm going to… _her _grave." Light nodded.

"Meet us near the stairs at 5:00." Beatrix ordered him. Phoenix nodded his head before exiting the room. Little did he know, Setsuna was right behind him.

XXXXX

Phoenix arrived at a marble gravestone, slightly larger than the rest. Engraved on it was an inscription:

_Here lies Sophia Avis Lunate_

_Born: 1678 May 19, Died: 1705 March 10,_

"_Non una vita ultium semper."_

"_Not one life lasts forever."_

One tear slowly trickled down his face. Those words once escaped Sophie's lush lips, and this was so true, that Phoenix could not do more than nod his head at the time. He knelt before the gravestone and he brushed a hand over the inscription. He tried for a smile.

"It has been a long time Sophie." He whispered through three more tears. Just seeing the grave hurt him deeply. "I've been busy with, well, business, I guess you could call it. You wouldn't believe how much the world has changed over these past 4 centuries. But I'm here still chasing your secrets. You were a very secretive woman." A true smile flashed on his face. "If I didn't know any better I would've thought that you were cheating on me."

"Wait, what?" Setsuna whispered to herself. "Why is he crying over that grave? It has been there longer than my great grandfather." A giggle made her jump. She cocked her head around to find Konoka behind her. "Wha- Why are you here ojo-sama?"

"Well I wanted to find out more about Phoenix sensei." She giggled again. "He was kind of cute during class." Then she found the sight of her mournful sensei. "What? Why is he-?" Setsuna grabbed her and pulled her down. She would apologize later for the rough act. But Phoenix suddenly looked over at where they stood. He shook his head and turned back to the grave.

"I'll be going now Sophie." He set a bunch of red roses at her grave and walked off. Inside he felt relief, as he was finally to set those feelings of remorse that built up during those four long centuries. He spared one more look at the grave then a glint caught his eye. He moved closer and found a shiny black corner poking up out of the worn ground. He slowly dug around it, curiosity had seized him. He uncovered a black box. It was shiny and made of marble like the grave. He turned it to the front. A yellow bird was engraved on it. He opened the box and a small piece of paper was lying there. He set the box down and unfolded the letter.

_Dear Phoenix,_

_ If you are reading this then I've succeeded in my plans. I write this now on March the seventh 1705. I am currently possessed by a high class demon. This demon can control my body at times, and I fear that I will be forced to kill someone soon. Unfortunately, this person will be you. The Divine Phoenix has come back. He captured me a fortnight ago and implanted this monster within me. His new name: Rex Aureas. Be wary Phoenix. This letter might not even reach you until sometime later in your many lives. But I am sure you will find this. The Divine Phoenix, or Rex, has ordered me to slaughter innocents tonight. Next I will confront you three nights later. You will have a choice; let me slaughter millions more while you try to find a cure, or kill me yourself. I will convince you to kill me, this is the only path. I haven't informed you of this but at my time in Kyoto, I have born you a daughter. I hid her away, as I wanted it to be a surprise. Now that I am surely doomed, I can't tell you. But I hope you will try to find any clues she left behind, as she is as clever as I. I have many more secrets to tell you, but I am running out of time. I love you Phoenix._

_Farewell,_

_Sophia Avis Lunate Oculus_

Pheonix's body went rigid. His mind ceased to function. "A child?" He croaked. "That means…" He thought. "I left an innocent, orphaned child to fend for herself." He buried his head in his hands. But for some reason, joy sung in his heart. He wiped away the tears and picked the letter, box, and himself up off the ground. He smiled at the grave again.

"You were always one to surprise, Sophie."

XXXXX

He met back up with Beatrix and Light at the stairs and they started to hike to the dean's office. They entered, and were met with the sight of the dean and an older, white haired man. One that Phoenix recognized immediately. "Long time no see, Takamichi." Phoenix grinned at the older man. "Still as strong as before?" Takamichi grinned back.

"Stronger." The dean smiled at the competitive nature surrounding the two. The door opened a second time. In walked a redhead. Following her closely was her. She who had looked just like Sophie. The redhead bowed to Takamichi.

"Hello, Takahata sensei."

"Hello Asuna san." The other girl walked towards the dean.

"Hi grandpa! So what did you need us for?" One cheerful Konoka Konoe arrived at his desk. He smiled at the group.

"Well we're here to discuss the living arrangements for these three…"

XXXXX

Phoenix sunk down next to Beatrix. They were sitting outside and enjoying the air. He sighed next to her and pinched his nose. Beatrix looked at him with a troubled expression.

"What's wrong Phoenix?"

"Nothing, Beatrix." He answered curtly. She folded her arms and looked cross.

"That's not nothing, Phoenix. Just tell me." Pheonix sighed again.

"I don't want to talk about it." Beatrix then knew of only one thing that could trouble him like this.

"Sophie?" She asked.

"Sophie." He answered. She nodded her head. He never wanted to talk about it right away, but he'll come clean later on. She opened her mouth but another voice cut her off.

"Hey! Beatrix, Phoenix, get over here!" Light waved at them. They rose.

"This better be good." Beatrix frowned slightly. "I don't like it when you waste my time." Light then whispered into her ear. Her face changed from anger to confusion to coy. The pair turned to Phoenix. They were smirking.

"What are you guys smiling about?" Phoenix cocked an eyebrow. They drew closer and grabbed his arms. "Wait what are you doing-WAAAHH!" They lifted him of his feet and started to run towards the building. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" He screamed before they ran gleefully into the hall.

He was roughly tossed into a dark room. He landed and instead of feeling the hard floor as he hit the ground he landed on something soft. Then the lights snapped on. He saw his whole class standing there yelling "Surprise!" Then he looked down. To his horror he was pinning one very red Konoka Konoe under him. He turned red.

"Ah I didn't mean to-" The class started to laugh.

"Ecchi, Phoenix sensei!" They chorused. He scrambled to get off Konoka. Her face was red but she was smiling at him all the same. "She looks so much like Sophie…" He thought. Then the party began.

XXXXX

"Hm, so not only were you mobbed by girls, they managed to strip you too?" Takamichi laughed. Phoenix smiled slightly. "Wish I had that problem." They were chatting over the blare of karaoke and girls screaming their delight.

Light was singing now and flirting with all the girls at the same time. Then he finsished and Beatrix stepped up. Phoenix turned in his seat to watch and listen. His sister was a great singer and coupled with the fact she was more modest than Light, Phoenix enjoyed watching her. She was his little sister. She started her favorite song, Happy Crescent by Kanon Nawagawa (Yes World That Only God Knows reference here!). He smiled and started to stretch his legs.

"Hapi, hapi, happi kuresento! Anata ni happi puresento, wakatte hoshii no kono kimochi anta dake yo eien romansu! Hapi hapi happi kuresento! Anata ni zenbu sasageru I love you! Itsuka owaru no? Nee dakishimete hoshii- kataomoi." Beatrix posed and the girls cheered her on with more screams.

Phoenix started to chat with Takamichi until Beatrix finished her song. Then she pulled Light apart from some girls and pointed in Phoenix's direction and muttered something inaudible. Then they both smirked and walked over to Phoenix. He knew this was not going to end well for him.

"Well Phoenix, as we sang in front of our class you should too!" Light smiled mischievously. Beatrix grabbed him and shoved him towards the stage. Phoenix blushed furiously.

"Grr, fine." He snatched the mic when Light threw it at him and Beatrix picked the song. "Cooler than me" from Mike Posner WAS NOT his first choice. "I'm going to kill you guys later." He muttered at them. They just smiled. The girls started to gather around when his voice started to drift about the room.

"If I could write you a song, to make you fall in love- I would already have you up under my arm. I used up all of my tricks I hope that you like this, but you probably won't you think your cooler than me." He matched all the pitches correctly and turned his voice down to almost a whisper. This caused the sea of hormones to scream their delight. He started to have fun with this.

"You got designer shades just to hide your face and- you wear 'em around like your cooler than me. And you never say hey, or remember my name. And it's probably 'cause you think you're cooler than me." He added in dance steps he learned from a few lifetimes ago, this caused a bigger reaction. He smiled in his most charming way.

"You got your high-brow, shoes on your feet, and you wear 'em around like it ain't shit. But you don't know, the way that you look when your steps MAKE THAT MUCH NOISE. Shh. I got you, all figured out, you need everyone's eyes just to feel seen. Behind your makeup, nobody knows you even are, who you think that you are." Phoenix smiled at the crowd. "Well this is going to be a great night. And I'm going to feel horrible in the morning."

XXXXX

Yay, another chapter done. Well I'm going to be uploading another chapter for Viva La Vacation soon so keep your eyes peeled. 'Till next time.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Last Dance of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: I don't own Mahou Sensei Negima. All credit goes to Akamatsu Ken.

Author's note: All right just so you guys know I'm skipping the Library Arc. In my eyes I can't get any good reactions out of this. Instead I'll do something the manga didn't do. I'll describe the summer in between the Library Arc and the Evangeline Arc. But I'm not done yet. I'll make one or more (if you guys request more) chapters for each of my OCs' summers. One or more for Phoenix, Light, and Beatrix. I felt as if Beatrix and Light weren't getting enough time in the spotlight so yeah. And for Phoenix, he has the most complicated past so I sorta need something like this to let off some ideas. I based this chapter off of the anime, the episode where Negi and Konoka go on a 'date'. So now that I'm done ranting, go forth and read!

Chapter 4: Misunderstandings

"HAHAHAHAAAA!" A white bearded man was hunched over from laughter. "HAHAHA! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACE PHOENIX!" Phoenix was having another one of his dreams where the Creator would give him back another one of his memories. Except this time Phoenix let it be one about Sophie. Also this time Phoenix's jaw was about halfway down his body. He was gazing down at his 13 year old self getting questioned and laughing with a slender brown haired 15 year old girl. And this girl just dropped the biggest question yet.

"So Phoenix what is your answer? Have you done IT? With another woman?" Sophie was obviously trying to hide a smirk. His 13 year old self was having the same reaction as he.

"N-NO! WHY WOULD YOU ASK THAT SOPHIE?" Phoenix yelled at his best friend. They had traveled around the globe and helped people for 3 years. They were inseparable, and they were up to another round of Q and A before they headed off to their next destination. The question had to be a yes or no question and they took turns. Sophie now did let a smirk spread across her pale face.

"You get flustered so easily."

"B-But it's wrong for an English gentleman to think about THAT." Phoenix stuttered. Sophie's smirk widened.

"But you have seen me naked numerous times. I don't think you're an English gentleman anymore." Phoenix blushed and stuttered but Sophie cut him off. "Come on Phoenix we're only doing this to cheer you up after getting those nasty wounds." Her face fell.

"I really thought I lost you there." Her voice was barely a whisper. Phoenix softened. Sophie did care about him and for some reason that made him happy. This time on their mission a skilled Obscura Magi held Sophie hostage. Phoenix fought to get her back on one condition: if he lost she would marry the Obscura Magi. Phoenix had fought and nearly died, he only won at the last second from a burst of power at the mere notion that Sophie would have to marry that scum. Only afterwards did Phoenix realize that the feelings he had inside him were love. But he was sure that she did not return them. She was a princess, he was the scorn of the magical world and the antagonist of their legends. She always seemed to treat him like a little brother.

"Come on Sophie, it's time to leave." He rose. He didn't care if she didn't return his feelings. All that mattered was that she was happy.

"Phoenix." She grabbed his arm. He turned around and looked confused. "One more question." He rolled his eyes; she loved her games.

"What is it Sophie?" She seemed to hesitate before looking his straight in the eyes. Her eyes were a deep brown and her hand radiated warmth. She spoke.

"Have you fallen in love?" He softened his face yet again.

"Yes." She stared at him for some time before speaking again.

"With your best friend?" His eyes widened and he stepped back. Her face fell. "I knew it."

"No Sophie, I haven't given my answer yet." She glanced up as he took a step forwards. "Yes, I think I have. But do you really want to love me back? I'm infamous, shunned, hunted. I have slaughtered millions." She took a step towards him and spoke the three words that would start a long and happy romance.

"I don't care." And with that she leaned forwards and brought her lips to his.

XXXXX

"Phoenix kun? Why are we on the floor?" Konoka yawned. Phoenix opened his eyes and tried to remember what had happened.

His class had placed first in the finals from Beatrix, Light, and he tutoring them to no end. Then all three were accepted as full time staff members. Then… he had arrived at his room with Asuna. Asuna and Konoka had bonded with Phoenix and became his friends that he always hung around and ate lunch with, just as Light had Kaede and Mana, and Beatrix had the Library trio. They had seemed to bond the most with the people they shared a room with. Anyway he had played a card game with Asuna until 9 and when she went to sleep, Phoenix had started to mix a few catalysts. Then… Phoenix paled. Konoka drank a catalyst while he was undoing her kimono. As she and Asuna did not know about magic so therefore did not know it was a catalyst and assumed it was juice. So like Sophie.

When Phoenix's eyes finally adjusted to the light, he saw a horrifying scene. The room was torn and looked as if a storm had ravaged it. Of course that storm was Konoka, who was delusional after drinking the catalyst and had tried to… er… rape him. Then he found that he was intertwined with Konoka and on the floor. Konoka's kimono was about halfway down her shoulder and was pinning Phoenix down under her. Phoenix on the other hand was holding her back and his legs were caught in her's. Konoka flushed when she realized their situation. "It can't get any worse." Phoenix thought. And then the Creator decided to prank him. How? By making this A LOT worse.

"Phoenix? What are you…" Light stopped in the hallway that led to their bedroom. His mouth formed a 'o' shape. Beatrix and the Library trio walked in after him.

"What's wrong Light…" Her face seemed identical to Light's. Then her face distorted in rage, Light and Haruna broke out into a grin, and Nodoka's and Yue's flushed.

"So I imagine you had a wild night Phoenix?" Light's grin widened.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Beatrix seemed ready to kill him. Then here came the final blow. Asakura and Ayaka walked in.

"Phoenix sensei I thought that you might want to have tea with…" Ayaka began. Asakura's jaw dropped. Ayaka seemed ready to kill. Not him, but Konoka. Phoenix could only think of one thing to do. Humor them.

"If you haven't noticed I am very busy right now Ayaka san." He then picked himself up off the floor, grabbed Konoka, and jumped out of the window.

XXXXX

After numerous misunderstandings, two chases across campus, and one newspaper article; the incident was sorted out. That being said it was 11:00 by the time Phoenix and Konoka had sorted it all out and fixed the room. Then as seeing Asuna was off somewhere they left a note on the table and left for the city. Asuna's birthday was nearing and they had broken her alarm clock. But yet another misunderstanding was on its way.

XXXXX

"Ah summer! Let's go karaoke!" Sakurako exclaimed. Misa nodded her agreement.

"Is that all you guys think about?" Madoka sighed. "We were supposed to shop for our swimsuits."

"Eh, we always have time for karaoke!" Misa grinned.

"Ugh, I wonder why I even bother." Madoka muttered as the other two ran off to get ice cream. They were walking down a busy street when Misa suddenly stopped. "What's wrong Misa san?" She extended a finger towards a sidewalk next to some shops.

There Phoenix and Konoka were walking down the street together. Phoenix was smiling slightly while Konoka laughed. Phoenix was wearing sky blue cotton polo and black shorts with brown loafers. Konoka had a white blouse and a blue skirt with a pale blue hat on her head.

"Wow Phoenix kun, you must be really popular with the girls back in England." Konoka giggled. "To think that you got chased around during Valentine's day."

"You don't even know the half of it." Phoenix faked a grimace, which caused Konoka to break out in another fit of giggles. Phoenix raised an eyebrow and plucked a shirt off a rack. "This is cute. How about this Konoka san?"

"Oh that's good Phoenix kun." She smiled and picked up a mini skirt and showed it to Phoenix. "It would go well with this." Phoenix just had to smile again at Konoka's playful nature.

Misa, Madoka, and Sakurako stood behind a trashcan, their jaws hitting the ground. "Is…isn't…isn't this a date?" They choursed.

"B-but Phoenix sensei never flirted with his students like Light sensei. He also knows he'll get into trouble if he goes out with one of his students." Madoka sputtered.

"Okay, but they were found this morning in their room…well you know." Misa reasoned.

"So it must be a date!" Sakurako exclaimed. Misa then snapped a picture of the two.

"I know, let's send it to Beatrix sensei and Asuna san they'll know what to do." Misa clicked send.

(In the cafeteria with Asuna, Light, Beatrix, and the Library trio.)

"Man I'm beat! I was late for work today and had to run the whole way." Asuna sighed.

"Wow Asuna san, I'm just surprised you can still stand like that!" Beatrix stifled a small giggle with a thin hand.

"Haha, we all know and love our energetic yet slightly empty headed Asuna san." Light grinned. Thiss earned him a punch from Asuna and Beatrix. Two small beeping noises rang out. Asuna and Beatrix checked their phones. They had received a picture of a giggling Konoka holding up a mini skirt while Phoenix held a shirt and was smiling. Two jaws hit the ground with a thud. The others raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" They chorused. They moved closer and saw the pictures. Four more jaws joined the other two. Ayaka then walked by.

"PFFFFTT! WHAT IS THIS ASUNA?" She grabbed the phone out of Asuna's hands.

"I-I don't know!" She sputtered. Beatrix trembled with rage.

"So this is 'just heading out for a while'? WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?" Beatrix roared. Light fell over from laughter.

"Our little Phoenix has grown up! He's taken after his charming and great brother!" Light was still chuckling by the time he stopped. Then his face seemed to freeze. "That means…what happened this morning… was actually…Phoenix did IT to one of our students?" Everyone stared at Light. Light's grin could not be wider. Then all hell broke loose.

XXXXX

So how was that? I'll follow this up, don't worry. So now that that's said I'm out. 'Till next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The Last Dance of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima. All credit goes to Akamatsu Ken.

Chapter 5: Misunderstandings part 2

"Oh, Phoenix kun, I can't." Konoka blushed.

"It's fine, it's fine, this is just a thank you for all that you've done for me." Phoenix handed Konoka an ice cream cone. She reluctantly accepted it. He started to lick his mint chocolate chip ice cream and proceeded down the long, bustling street. Konoka followed closely behind him and started on her ice cream. They stopped outside a shop and glanced in. Phoenix's eyes lit up and he smiled at Konoka. "Found it." He proclaimed.

"Really?" Her eyes followed Phoenix's fingers. "Oh, you're right! There it is!"

"Ohh we HAVE to stop this." Misa whimpered from behind their hiding place. "Ayaka san's gonna kill us if we don't." The three stalkers flashed back to the loud voice and evil face Ayaka made over the phone. They shivered in fear.

"I know, but HOW?" Sakurako's face portrayed deep thought.

"We should buy everything they want! That way we can stall them long enough for everyone else to get here!" Madoka exclaimed. The other two nodded their heads and the three set to work, putting on costumes and sprinting to the store.

"Hmm, Konoka san, what do you think? Is this good enough?" Phoenix held up a small box. Konoka nodded her head in agreement.

"Un, Phoenix kun, that's fine." The three shoved the couple out of the way and grabbed the box.

"We want this!" They exclaimed. Phoenix glanced back and sweat dropped.

"There are some really violent shoppers here today, huh?" His eyes landed on something else. "Ah, I'll take-"

"We'll take that!" The three bellowed. Two dumbbells, eight matching clothes, and one game of 'Zombie Rider: Son in Law' later the three were out of money and Phoenix had purchased what he wanted.

"This is perfect!" He grinned as Konoka giggled.

"It took a while to find but yes it is perfect."

"All right let's go." Phoenix smiled as the two departed the shop. The three stalkers tried to go after them but could barely stand up.

"I lost all my money…" Madoka groaned.

"So did I…" Misa added.

"Ayaka san better get here fast…" After some rest the three picked themselves up and trudged after the 'couple'.

XXXXX

"He's gonna get it… I'll rip him apart… we might be fired from what he did…" Beatrix was burning. Literally. Light had to dowse her with water whenever the group turned their backs to the two sibilings. Of course, Light was still laughing.

"Hahaha!" Light clutched his side in pain. Asuna looked concerned.

"You're going to suffocate, Light sensei."

"Too…late…" Light breathed out. He fell over and heaved in a few deep breaths.

"Kuu, when I get my hands on that Konoka…" Ayaka growled. Asuna's mind flashed back to the mess earlier this morning. Then a memory instigated in her head.

"This morning Konoka mentioned she came back from an omiai meeting… and…marriage?" She said uncertainly. Jaws dropped and Asuna froze at her own words. Beatrix was the first to speak.

"M-Marriage? H-how did Phoenix… Did he actually…" Beatrix stuttered. "If he did… oh Creator this is bad."

"Marriage! He can't! I-I won't stand for this!" Ayaka yelled.

"Man Nodoka, you're too late!" Haruna lamented. Nodoka had developed a sort of school girl crush on their teacher. Nodoka felt a heavy feeling come over her, but she also felt an anger towards Konoka.

"Marriage? Does that mean he's gotten over Sophie?" Light wondered out loud. Faces turned to him.

"Baka" Beatrix screamed at him. "They're not supposed to know that! Now you've just made the situation wors-"

"WHO'S SOPHIE?" The rest exclaimed. Light felt the severity of his situation. Through Beatrix's fist.

XXXXX

Phoenix wandered through the sea of people, trying to find Konoka. He had just about as much luck as trying to find the metaphorical needle in a haystack. He weighed the notion of using his powers to find Konoka, but decided against it. He reached down to his pocket to pull out his phone, but then he remembered he forgot it at the dorm.

"Ugh, I knew that I shouldn't have left her there outside the park." Phoenix raked his hands through his hair in frustration. He was about to start chanting a spell, for his last resort but a few girls appeared in front of him.

"Hey there. You lost?" Phoenix checked his surroundings. His eyes widened. He was in a shady alleyway with hotels surrounding him. He gulped.

"Ah, I need to go now." Phoenix turned to leave but one of the girls took his arm.

"Where are you going?" Phoenix was about to politely put them down when he spotted Konoka further down the alley, in a similar situation. He quickly removed himself from their grasp, and extracted Konoka from her predicament.

"Thanks Phoenix kun." Konoka smiled at him. Phoenix returned the action. He then heard a grumbling noise. He turned to Konoka who was blushing. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Hungry?" She nodded her head and Phoenix's eyes landed upon a café. He walked towards it and grabbed two chairs.

But, yet again, the three stalkers had followed them. They waited silently and watched the action unfold.

"Hm, what was Asuna like before?" Konoka repeated Phoenix's question. "Well she was the same as today, hardworking and funny but I didn't go to school before the fourth grade."

"Why?" Phoenix cocked an eyebrow. "Were you sick?"

"I don't really know what was wrong with me. But before Asuna, I had Setsuna san as my friend."

"Had? What happened?" Phoenix knitted his eyebrows together.

"I really don't know. She just left one day and never came back until I went to Mahora." Konoka and Phoenix absently eat their spaghetti, lost in their thoughts. Their faces drew together gradually. Then by the time they noticed they were sharing a strand of spaghetti, their lips were a centimeter apart. They hastily pulled away and flushed. The jaws of the three stalkers dropped.

"So, what about you Phoenix kun? Do you have any childhood friends from Wales?" Konoka inquired while taking a sip of water. Phoenix noticed she carried the same royal and courteous air around her as Sophie had.

"Well I have Anya, who went to the same school as I. She was my best friend. And there was…" Phoenix trailed off, entangled in thoughts about his previous wife, Sophie. The Konoka brought him back to reality with the thump of her cup landing on the table. "Sophie." He blurted out then covered his mouth. She looked quizzically at him.

"Who's Sophie?" Konoka asked. Phoenix cursed under his breath, but he had to provide an answer.

"She was… a dear friend." He answered slowly. "For a time." He added and blushed. A smirk came over Konoka's face.

"A _friend _huh?" Konoka's smirk was widening as Phoenix's face started to turn from the shade of tomatoes to magma. "Come on Phoenix you can tell me."

"All right," Phoenix gave in to Konoka. "She was my girlfriend. Please don't tell anyone, the girls are going to kill me and Asakura will have a field day." Konoka giggled.

"So how far did you go?" Konoka started to giggle profusely.

"All the wa-" Phoenix started before realizing what he was saying. His eyes flit to Konoka who was gaping at him. Phoenix could only raise his head to the sky and shout, "DAMN YOU TO HELL OLD MAN!"

And somewhere in the sky, a white bearded man, better known as the Creator, was rolling on the floor laughing at his 'evil' deed.

XXXXX

"So yeah that's pretty much it." Light finished. He had told the girls about Sophie being Phoenix's ex-girlfriend back in Wales, through it was a lie. Haruna was giggling, Asuna was dumbfounded, and the remainder of girls were in shock.

"Phoenix is going to kill you Light." Beatrix frowned. "He never wanted that to get out."

"So how far has Phoenix sensei gone with this girlfriend?" Haruna wore a smirk similar to Konoka.

"All the way-" Beatrix stopped. Light went pale while the rest gasped in shock.

"Correction, Phoenix is going to kill US." Light spoke as if was the last words he would ever speak again. Beatrix nodded.

"I hope the old man can fix this mess before Phoenix can get to us." They chorused. Then Beatrix's face darkened.

"Or else we're not the only ones on Phoenix's death row."

"Oh crap." The Creator muttered to himself.

XXXXX

"Want to go find a quiet place Phoenix kun?" Konoka smiled at Phoenix. Phoenix was hanging his head, he just spent the last hour explaining the 'situation' to Konoka.

"Right." He nodded. Konoka was blushing slightly at him, thinking about the comment she had unwittingly blurted out. It still echoed in her head: 'Well at least you're experienced Phoenix kun.' He flushed at the comment and stuttered for a while before just paying the bill and leaving. They sat down and Phoenix closed his eyes. Then he felt weight being applied to his lap. He cracked his eyes open and almost fainted at the sight of Konoka's head in his lap. But then he noticed she was snoring slightly. He cracked a smile.

"Hey guys, we've got company." Misa whispered. Following her were Light, Beatrix, Ayaka, Asuna, and the Libaray trio. "What are they doing now?"

"Sleeping. With her head in his lap!" Ayaka growled she tried to march forward but the group over powered her. Nodoka felt the jealousy towards Konoka increase.

"She's kind of cute like this." Phoenix smiled contently while absently using his finger to move a strand of hair away from her face. The longer he stared at her face the more he longed for Sophie. "It isn't fair to her if you keep using her to fill the void." He told himself. He smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"THAT'S IT!" Ayaka burst from the bushes and ran towards her sensei. "Phoenix sensei!" Phoenix instantly moved his face away from Konoka's. He flushed.

"Wha-What is it Ayaka san?" Phoenix stuttered. Konoka stirred in her sleep and sat up groggily.

"We know all about your plans!" Phoenix was growing more confused by the minute.

"What plans?" Konoka asked.

"Don't play dumb with me Konoka, we've followed you the whole day!" Phoenix's eyes widened in recognition and Konoka giggled.

"It looks like they found out Phoenix kun." Phoenix laughed. "Might as well give it to her now." Phoenix nodded. He hid his hands behind his back, as did Konoka. The two smiled at each other and started.

"We have something to-"

"No! You can't be serious Phoenix!" Beatrix protested. "The dean will fire your ass out of Mahora if you do!"

"What?" Phoenix knitted his eyebrows together.

"Yeah, I agree with Beatrix, I mean take your time. You have a whole 3 years for the romance to build to that level." Light nodded sagely.

"Eh?" Phoenix was lost now.

"Come on, you can't marry my best friend without at least telling me first. I thought you were my friend too Phoenix?" Asuna frowned.

"WHAT?" Phoenix and Konoka exclaimed.

"As Class Representative, I won't stand for teacher-student relationships!" Ayaka growled at Konoka.

"NO IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Phoenix yelled over the mixture of voices.

"Eh?" Everyone chorused.

"What we were going to say, was 'Happy Birthday Asuna'." Phoenix held out a box and Konoka did the same. Asuna's face twisted into confusion. Then her eyes lit up and she took the presents and opened them. Inside was a new alarm clock and a mini organ.

"We went into town today to get you a birthday gift." Phoenix smiled. "It's the organ that plays your favorite tune."

"I got you an alarm clock because I broke the other one. I'm sorry, that mess earlier was my fault." Konoka apologized.

"So nothing happened?" Asuna questioned. Konoka was confused but Phoenix nodded.

"Nothing happened." He repeated.

"I thought so." Asuna turned to Ayaka. "See? I told you."

Ayaka turned to the cheerleaders, who were trying to sneak away. "Did you girls hear that?" They started to sweat.

"We're sorry!" They bowed their heads.

"All right, let's go." Asuna started to walk away but Haruna stopped her.

"Wait a minute Asuna san. Phoenix sensei." Phoenix turned to look at Haruna. "Does the name Sophie ring any bells?" Phoenix's face darkened. He turned towards Light and Beatrix. They started to sweat profusely.

"How much do you know?" Phoenix asked Haruna in a quiet voice.

"That you went all the way." Haruna smirked. Beatrix and Light seemed to be muttering prayers under their breaths. Phoenix hands were twitching.

"I thought that the old man was the only one on my death row." Phoenix grinned at the two with an evil look on his face. "Looks like I was wrong." At that point Light and Beatrix were running for the hills and the Creator was flying as fast as he could out of Japan.

XXXXX

So that's a rap! Just to let you all know, I am currently working on a fanfic with Tsaieric, so I might be a little slow in updating but I'm working as much as I can. So 'till next time.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The Last Dance of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: I do not own Mahou Sensei Negima. All credit goes to Akamatsu Ken.

Author's note: I'm back! Sorry for the long hiatus, projects and semester exams suck. But now I have this whole story planned out and I am starting my other 2 stories back up too!

Chapter 6: Breaking the Ice

Rain slapped against the window in a slow, rhythmic beat. Gray streams of light cast a dreary tone about the room. The room itself was relatively clean, if one glanced about, it would seem it the room came out from a magazine. But a keen eye could detect a sniper rifle and sword hastily stuffed in a corner. Or the ruffled bed sheet and the poorly disposed towel on the kitchen table. And the slightly opened door of the bathroom and a coat hanging from the doorknob. This all led back to one man, who was currently tapping his fingers softly against the wall and admiring the view from the window. There wasn't much to see, but the man's sharp blue eyes did not stray from the sea of endless gray. He passed a hand through his snow white hair and sighed. After which a rubber bullet slammed against his head.

"What did I say about touching my guns?" A feminine voice pierced the eerie silence. The man smiled sheepishly.

"I was just trying to clean up, Mana." The man rubbed his head where the bullet hit. "You surely didn't need to waste a bullet for that." Mana snorted and slid her long, slender legs out of her bunk.

"Great job you did, Light." Mana said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well I tried my best, but I got tired." Light shrugged. "Should I wake Setsuna?" Mana grabbed the coat of the door handle of the bathroom and flung it at Light. She then grunted before stepping inside, which Light took as a 'yes'.

"Psst, Setsuna san, wake up." Light prodded her shoulder gently. Setsuna mumbled something inaudible and twisted in her bed. Light smiled mischievously. Dropping his voice to a whisper he spoke, "Sec-chan, Sec-chan, wake up Sec-chan." When she started to stir Light switched his voice from a whisper to a seductive tone. "You surprised me last night, I didn't know you were so…energetic." Light finished and had to hold in a laugh as Setsuna shot straight out of her bed with a face colored brick red. After glancing around wildly she pieced together what happened.

"Don-Don't do that Light-sensei!" Setsuna's face was half angry and half embarrassed. Light gave her a lecherous grin and turned around to the kitchen. He prepared a pan and turned on the stove, all the while listening to the sounds of the Setsuna moving about the room and the pounding of water from the shower. He finished cooking an English style breakfast and set the table.

"Ahh, looks like we won't be having a very fun Sunday." Light sighed and picked at his sunny side up egg. Setsuna sat down at the table and took a bite of toast.

"Wow, I didn't know you could cook Light-sensei!" She exclaimed. Light opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a slamming door.

"He has to, or else he would be more useless than he is already." Mana droned as she pulled on a shirt and sat down. Light could not resist starting at her, all the while a smile affixed on his face. "What is it, pervert?" Mana spat. Light lifted a hand up to cover his mouth and hunched over from laughter. Setsuna paled while looking at Mana. She glanced down to find that she had put on a pink V-neck sweater and a pair of blue jeans.

"You should really pay attention at what you're putting on Mana-chan." Light snickered. Mana rose from her seat and grabbed an assault rifle from under her bed.

"You'll pay for that one, Oculus." Mana growled before letting loose on Light.

XXXXX

Beatrix raised an eyebrow at Light. "What happened?" She inquired. Light was covered in bruises and was quite literally crawling down the hall.

"Don't ask." Light proceeded with his slow crawl. It took Beatrix a matter of 2 seconds to figure out what happened. Of course, the rubber bullets on his person helped.

"Mana-san attacked you again, didn't she?" Beatrix sighed. "How many times have I told you to stop pranking her?"

Light stopped and turned around with a melancholy smile on his face. "I don't prank her just to have fun." He dusted himself off and gestured for her to sit down in the small hallway. Beatrix raised an eyebrow, but did as she was told. The next thing he said surprised her.

"Have I ever told you about Maria?" This was the first time Light had ever spoke a woman's name before. Usually Light just had a one night stand with most women and forgot about it completely. Of course this was in their past lives, Nekane would probably strangle Light if she found out.

"No." Beatrix answered cautiously, from the look on his face, she assumed he could break any minute. She and Phoenix always joked about how Light, although perverted to the fullest extent of the word, could handle just about anything. They knew he was not like this until about the 1900's, when they crossed paths with him again. When he was prince of the phoenix empire, he was cold, harsh, and distant, not unlike Phoenix. But he was innocent, just afraid to get hurt. The two brothers fought all the time, opposites colliding. Beatrix was the only line linking the two together. She tried and failed to change them, and thought it was impossible. But she was surprised when they both changed drastically. It all led back to one thing. But she would not admit it to herself. Yet.

"Well, I usually don't open up, and I'm not the open book everyone can read." He smirked slightly, again indicating a rivalry with his brother. "I met her back in London. In 1878."

XXXXX

Rain poured down in sheets as the streets of London bustled while people flocked inside buildings. A grizzled, dingy looking boy of 13 sat in an alley, staring at the scene with cold, lifeless eyes. His white hair was caked with mud and dirt. His hands were rough and calloused. All the while he was muttering to himself.

"Damn him…Damn him… Why do I even have to live if this is what I go through?" The boy growled, the anger not reaching his eyes. "Why…" Tears started to well up in his eyes. "Why do I even try?" He lowered his head into his lap.

"That was the 8th city." He thought. "When I try to help, I just end up hurting the people close to me. Why?" He thought about what his brother might say.

"Pick yourself up you sulking coward. At least you can even walk to a village without getting shot at. You think you've got it bad? Try living in my shoes for a day. And I thought you were supposed to be my big brother. Hah!" Yeah, that sounded about right. It helped him raise his spirits a bit. But unlike his brother he could not fight for revenge. He fought to protect. And most of the time, he failed. He was about to pick himself up to move on but a voice called to him from behind.

"Hey, don't stand out there in the rain!" A woman of 20 ran to the boy. She had flowing, golden hair and bright, vibrant blue eyes. She was wearing clothes suited to a middle class, not too low and not too high. She reached the boy and put her umbrella above his head.

The boy scowled and walked out from under the umbrella. "Don't talk to me." With that, he sat down. He expected her to go away, but she lingered until dusk, then left. But she was back the next day with two umbrellas. "I said I don't need one!" The boy growled at her. But she kept coming back, day after day, until the boy was outfitted with suitable clothes, a blanket, and had an umbrella above his head.

Usually he kept quiet during her 'visits' but he could not contain himself any longer. "Why? Why do you keep coming back? I've never done anything to deserve this."

"Because," the woman smiled. "You don't need to 'do' anything to deserve kindness. Everyone needs kindness or else this world would fall apart." He was silent after that.

The next day the boy spoke again. "If you keep coming here, you might get hurt." He muttered. "Don't you want to be safe?" The woman smiled again and answered.

"No one can be safe. Everything we do involves danger. But if you keep living in fear of getting hurt, you will never progress." The boy fell silent once again. On the next day he spoke again.

"When anyone gets close to me they end up getting hurt. I fight to protect them but I can't do it." The boy stated glumly.

The woman frowned for the first time during her visits. "So you think you're hurting them? And failing to protect them you hurt them?" The boy nodded. She wacked him in the stomach hard with the umbrella she held.

"What was that for?" The boy screamed.

"You really are a stupid boy!" Her eyes glowered with anger. "You can't keep thinking like that! If you do you'll end up… end up…like me." She seemed to deflate, all the energy gone.

"What?" The boy questioned.

She gazed into his eyes and spoke softly. "If I told you I was afraid, afraid just like you, what would you do?" The boy mulled it over before opening his mouth. But he was cut off by a yelling.

"My lady! Where have you been?" A tall, lithe man ran towards the two. He looked about, 30 and had black hair and brown eyes. He pulled the woman from alley and glared at the boy. "Get away from her, you filthy, sewer rat!" And with that he kicked him. The boy's vision went blurry and he hunched over in pain.

"Richard, no!" She struggled to keep him away from the boy. When he strained to kick the boy again, she slapped him. "Get away from him!" She turned back to the boy with a concerned look in her eyes. "So, what would you do?"

The boy rose and slapped at his wet clothes before opening his mouth to say, "I would try and support you as best as I could. But more than that, I need answers. Answers to my questions, about this and that. You have those answers, but you need someone to confide in. Someone to lean on…and I can always try." She smiled, a true radiant smile that would have lit up the dark side of the moon.

"You are dismissed Richard." She spoke to the man.

"What? But, my lady-"

"You are a suitor. I am allowed to approve or disapprove of the one to be my husband. You are dismissed." She spoke in a stern, commanding voice. "Go." The man stood there in shock, but soon recovered.

"Boy, I won't forget this!" He screamed before sulking away from the two of them.

The woman turned back to the boy. "You are a quite perceptive. My name is Maria. Yours?"

"Light." The boy smiled. The rain then broke and sun started to filter through the clouds.

"Finally, the rain stopped!" The woman exclaimed. She turned back to the boy. "I will take you up on that offer Light. Come with me, and you will find the answers you so desperately desire." She extended her hand.

Light took it and Maria swept the boy into a twirl and laughed at his frightened look. As soon as Light's feet touched the ground he stumbled and fell. Maria started to laugh harder and Light began to laugh to. Light grinned at Maria and opened his mouth once more.

"One more question."

"Yes, Light?" Maria answered, another smile tugging at her lips.

"What would you call this warm feeling?"

"Happiness." She stated.

"And what would you call the process of giving someone this feeling?"

"That's two questions." But when Light frowned at her childishly, she laughed. "All right. I guess you could call it… breaking the ice?"

XXXXX

"She took me in after that. We spent years together, at her house. She enrolled me in school and we always had those talks after dinner." Light sighed. Beatrix blinked a few times before speaking again.

"What happened after that?" She inquired, engrossed by the story.

"It's a secret." Light smirked and Beatrix knew the conversation regarding that topic was over.

"What's your point?" Beatrix hoped to a least get the answer to why Light even told the story.

"She always used to play pranks on me and, just like you, I asked why. She said little pranks always lighten the mood and bring out the best side of a person. So if you play a tiny prank on a hurt person, for a short amount of time you get to see their true nature." Light smiled.

"So the best side of Mana is an enraged, gun-toting Mana?" Beatrix asked with a sweat drop.

"You have to notice the little things. Like her eyes." Light replied.

"I still don't get it." Beatrix muttered.

"You'll see."

XXXXX

Mana sat on the roof, clasping a necklace with a picture of a man inside. She sighed and leaned against the railing, not bothering to notice how cold the rain felt as it beat down around her. A slow beat of footsteps started to echo from the entrance to the roof. From the pacing of the footsteps and the sound she determined it was a tall male. She could only think of that to be one person. Light.

The door creaked open and Mana did not bother to turn around.

"What do you want." She droned. He came closer and the rain stopped. She glanced up to find a black umbrella shielding her from the rain.

"You'll freeze out here." Light spoke softly. She ignored the comment and he sat down. A silence fell between them.

"I don't want that umbrella." Mana stated bluntly.

"No, but you need it. Just like you need someone to give you answers about why that person in your necklace died, correct?" Mana stared incredulously at Light.

"How did you-"

"How did I guess that? We're more alike than you think Mana-chan." Mana clenched her fists at her name.

"Don't use that suffix at the end of my name. Why are you up here anyway?" She demanded.

Light smiled. "Oh, I'm just…breaking the ice."

XXXXX

So, how was that? Did my writing get better or worse? Give me some feedback! Oh and I have a Christmas special coming up. So I decided to have a little fun. Anyone who can guess what kind of relationship Maria had with Light during that time period after he was taken in, gets to say what happens in the special. Ex.: Best Friend (that's not the answer).


End file.
